Science for conservation in the Galapagos
Roughly nine-tenths of the Galapagos archipielago is at present established by the Republic of Ecuador as a National Park for the purposes of conservation, research and tourism. The archipielago, astride the equator some 1,000 km west of the South American coast, consists of 13 major islands which erupted 3 to 5 million years ago from the ocean floor. Thus, the Galapagos Islands have never been connected by a land bridge to the mainland of Central or South America. The present endemic flora and fauna evolved in the course of time from the plants and animals that slowly colonized the island from the continent, these first colonizers, as Darwin taught us, adapted to the new and mostly harsh environment by means of a merciless struggle for life that invariably ended with the survival of the fittest. The endemic species are threatened by introduced species, but science is seeking ways of controlling the exotic plants and animals. Examples dealing with dogs, rats and fire ants are provided. Galapagos would make and ideal biosphere reserve.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | biblioteca |
| Published: |
(URSS)
1984
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| Subjects: | RECURSOS NATURALES, PARQUE NACIONAL GALAPAGOS, ECUADOR, |
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